Self contained portable dispensing devices for ice cream have been proposed for some time. A typical one is described in WO95/16634 wherein such a device comprises a vessel for receiving and holding ice cream, said vessel being connected with a propellant and a discharge mechanism, and a pressurised container for the propellant, the whole device being contained within a housing mounted on the back of an operator.
Such a device suffers from major shortcomings which means that it did not result in a commercially successful product.
In order to be actually operated, the discharge mechanism must be situated on the front of the operator. Since the discharge mechanism is connected with the vessel in the back of the operator, it requires pipelines and articulated connections which are costly, difficult to maintain, and a huge hygiene hazard since they must be cleaned very properly everyday. Also, the whole pipelines and connections must be properly thermally insulated.
There is thus a need for a device which does not require pipelines and connection through which ice cream would have to flow and which would go from the back of the operator to the front.
It is now be found that by disconnecting the functions of storage and discharge, it is possible to achieve this goal.
Portable coolers for a number of beverage cans are known (See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,237). Dispensing means for discharging viscous products from cartridges are known (See for example WO01/60173, EP369723, WO97/42096, U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,485 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,767). However it has not been proposed to provide a portable dispenser for dispensing frozen aerated edible product from a single dose cartridge which is easy to use (preferably one-handed) and which dispenses the product in a hygenic manner.